A thanks to veterans

In 1776, 13 British colonies collectively declared their independence from a far-off throne. By many accounts, it was a reckless move. The British had the strongest empire in the world and a highly trained military. However, our brave founders had fled their homeland for greater freedom and they were not about to back down. These men and women cherished their liberty so much that they were willing to cross an ocean for it, and indeed die for it.

God grants us natural rights, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As Americans, we are among the freest citizens of any country in the world. But that freedom does not come easy. Many brave souls before us have fought and spilled their blood to protect our liberty.

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to those who have protected our liberty. We say to our veterans, thank you.

From our long-ago battles against a far-away monarch to the more recent engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, American military heroes have sacrificed for liberty at home and abroad. Tyrants and terrorists today seek to threaten and destroy our way of life. In each instance, our veterans have remained steadfast in the fight to secure our liberty.

Over the last 240 years, Americans have fought in a continuing battle for liberty. We fought the British for our independence, we fought European and Asian powers to maintain democracy, we fought mass murdering tyrants like Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein, and we continue to fight terrorism and the many forms it takes.

Whatever the face of a threat to liberty, Americans have been triumphant because of our veterans. Through it all, our veterans have protected us.

To honor these men and women, we give thanks, but we must not stop there. To truly honor their sacrifices made in the name of liberty, we must always be vigilant against threats to liberty, foreign and domestic. Today we say thank you to our veterans, and we promise not to let their service be in vain. Happy Veterans Day.

– Austin Lumbard was appointed to the Tustin Planning Commission in 2013

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